Reflecting on how ESG investing, accounting and governance have evolved over time

Jill Frances Atkins

This chapter reflects on the past, present and future of ESG investment, with a personal academic perspective on changes in the investment industry, predominantly in a UK context. As an academic researcher for around 30 years, I have been fortunate enough to be able to explore, track and assess the evolution of the ESG movement in the investment industry, but also more recently in the accounting sphere. When I was asked to contribute a chapter for this important new book, I decided to provide something quite unusual for an academic: a personal reflection. It seems an appropriate moment in time, from a personal point of view, but also in terms of contributing to practitioner developments as well as to academic research, to reflect on the ways in which the ESG “movement” has grown from its early roots in the UK, and through pockets of activity in other parts of the world, to a global phenomenon and a worldwide agenda for action, advocacy and emancipation in finance, accounting and governance. Another reason for adopting an autobiographical approach is to demonstrate the perennial close relationship between academia and practice in the accounting and finance discipline.

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